Zat's My Girl
by RedLion2
Summary: Five years after her high school graduation, Katherine Pryde comes face-to-face with a special someone from her past. Kurtty, of course.


I do not own the X-Men – Marvel Comics does. I'm just tinkering a little bit – no harm, no foul.

It's been a long time since I've forayed into the land of the X-Men, but I've been thinking of Kitty and Kurt for a while now, and just wanted to write a little something. Here goes.

ZAT'S MY GIRL

Katherine Pryde walked along the sidewalk toward the building where her apartment was located, a serene look on her pretty face. Her chestnut hair was loose today, and the ends whipped in the late October breeze. She pulled her keys from her right jacket pocket and walked up the steps, nodding to Jerry, the old guy who lived in Apartment C and fancied himself the doorman. He grinned and nodded back, and she walked in, stopping by the wall of mailboxes. Opening hers, a grin flashed across her face when she saw the name "Rogue" on a letter, and immediately she jammed the other letters into her backpack before shutting the mail door and bolting up the stairs.

She lived on the top floor all alone, her apartment clear at the end of the long hallway. It suited her perfectly, being alone up here. She found she liked the quiet, the largeness of the space that was solely hers, and the beautiful view from the window seat by the big bowed window that overlooked the campus town she'd ended up in. Here, she was simply Katherine Pryde. Not Kitty, Katya, Shadowcat, or…A tiny frown touched her mouth as she opened her apartment door and stepped inside. She quickly shut it behind her and bolted and latched it before dropping her backpack to the floor and pulling her jacket off.

Walking over the bare wooden floor to the window seat, she sat down and ripped Rogue's letter open, eager for any news from her best friend. She scanned the letter quickly, disappointed that it was short, but glad that her friend had taken time to actually _write_ to her. Rogue emailed her on occasion, and texted sometimes, but Katherine loved it when she wrote letters. Of course, Rogue still insisted on calling her "Kitty," even though she hadn't gone by that in five years, not since she'd graduated from Bayville High and decided she wanted to try out a new life that didn't involve the X-Men or missions or…_him._ Giving her head a short shake, as if to dislodge any thoughts of him, she folded the letter and shoved it back into the envelope. Rogue was doing well; she was still going on missions, still dating Remy (though it honestly sounded like they fought more often than not), and still living at the mansion.

_Well, good for her. I'm glad she's happy._ Katherine stretched and got up. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that breakfast, a granola bar, had been thirteen hours ago. _Forgot to eat again,_ she mused as she set the letter down on the window cushion and walked over to the kitchen. Pulling open the fridge, she grimaced. _Ugh. Well, I'm not eating anything from this tonight._ She knew her cupboards were bare, and she had no energy left to go out and physically find food. _Ice cream it is, I guess._ She pulled the ice cream out of the freezer, opened it, and sighed. _Guess I went a little too hard-core on it last night,_ she thought. Her stomach rumbled again, and she rubbed a hand over it, sighing.

Deciding that something from the corner deli would suffice for one night, she headed back out. A fine rain was falling, and she pulled her hood up over her head, hunching her shoulders against the cold. As she walked, the feeling that someone was watching her made her shudder, and she glanced back, over her shoulder. There were a few guys walking behind her, but they were teenagers, and clearly not paying her any attention. _Hmm, weird._ Shrugging it off, she continued on into the deli, where she ordered a veggie sub and grabbed a half-gallon of milk from the cooler. Ten minutes later, and still not feeling settled, she walked back toward her apartment.

She heard the close footsteps behind her seconds before she swung around, ready to strike. A familiar, if older-looking, visage came into her line of sight, and she gasped, stumbling backwards. He reached out immediately and grabbed her hand, steadying her, but she was in too much shock to respond. He smiled and let go of her, jamming his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Hello, Katzchen," he said. His accent was slighter, more Americanized now, and she swallowed hard. "How are you?"

"I-I'm good," she said, trying not to show how rattled she was with his sudden appearance. She'd never expected him to be here.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," he said.

"It's okay. I just, um, never expected you to be here," she said. Her voice was regaining some of its normal confidence, for which she was grateful. She'd told herself it was better if they didn't see each other, that they'd both chosen separate paths, and that was for the best. But now, seeing him…_but this isn't really seeing _him_, is it?_ "Come with me," she said and turned around, knowing he would follow her. After all this time, she still knew that with absolute certainty.

They walked in comfortable silence back to her apartment, and it was nice having him at her side again. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed him, missed this quiet time together. He unlocked the door for her and stood aside so she could enter first, and she was happy to see he hadn't lost any of his gentlemanly qualities that had always endeared him to her. Setting her food down, she took her coat off, reached for his arm, and hit the switch on the holowatch.

Immediately his human face faced away and was replaced by his fuzzy blue self, and she smiled and met his eyes. "There you are," she murmured, and when he opened his arms to her, she threw herself into them with all the wild abandonment she could muster. He picked her up and swung her around, hugging her tightly.

"Ah, Kitty, I've missed you so much," he said, finally setting her down but keeping his arms around her. "You look amazing."

"So do you, Kurt." She looked him over, taking in the sharper planes of his face, the shorter hair, the high-octane grin that showed true happiness. "But why are you here? I thought you were over in London."

"Ja, I was. But I'm home now, for a little while, and well, I wanted to see you," he said. His voice was soft, as was the trace of his accent, and she smiled.

"Your accent. What happened to it?" she asked. She stepped back and he let go of her, instead catching her hand in his and holding it.

"Ah, you miss it," he said, smirking. "Well, traveling like I've been, it just…faded, I guess," he said. "I hear new ones all the time, but since I spent so much time in the States, that's the one that's stuck."

"I see." She gave his hand a squeeze, instantly rewarded with a squeeze of his own. "I missed you," she whispered, as if admitting it wasn't good.

The humor fled from his face and eyes. "I missed you, too. All the time. I thought it would get better, but…" He shrugged. "Here I am."

"Here you are." She was happy to see him, but where did they go from here? It wasn't like they were giving up their new lives just for a glimpse of the old one. They'd left that one behind years ago when they'd graduated high school. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I ate before stopping by," he said. He nodded toward the bag from the deli. "Looks like you don't have much to offer, anyway."

She blushed. "Um, no, not really. I always mean to get groceries, but by the time I get done with classes, I'm usually pretty wiped out." She made a helpless gesture. "Thus, I have to depend on the deli most nights."

"I see." He looked around the apartment. "Nice place." His eyes came back to hers. "You live alone?"

"I do." She felt her cheeks warm again under his direct scrutiny, and added, "I thought about getting a roommate, but to be honest, it's nice having the place to myself." It was helpful for when she wanted quiet for studying, or wanted to sleep late, or…wanted to phase, just for old times' sake. "How long are you in town?"

"Not long. Professor Xavier has another symposium he'd like me to attend, in Amsterdam," he said. He almost seemed poised to say more, but whatever it was died on his tongue.

Katherine nodded. "I'm glad you stopped by. I've really missed you, you know."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You could, I don't know, come with me," he said. His eyes, golden and soft, radiated warmth.

"We both know I can't. I have my life here now. I really am enjoying college," she said. And she meant it. Yet, thinking about traveling with Kurt, doing something good for Xavier's school, tempted her. She gave herself a mental shake. It wasn't like she and Kurt would ever be together again, not the way they'd been as teenagers.

"I know. Rogue has told me as much." But something in his tone made her think he didn't believe her. "And I'm glad you're happy, Katzchen. Really, I am."

"But?"

"We were a good team, you and I," he said softly. "We could be again."

She pulled her hand from his and walked away from him. She shouldn't let him affect her like this. She hadn't wanted what he had, to be tied to the school, to the man who'd given them a chance to refine their abilities.

"Kitty, I didn't come here to make you uncomfortable," he said. "I really did just want to see you. It's been a long time, too long."

"It has been," she said, nodding. She turned back to him. "And I miss you, Kurt. So much it hurts sometimes. But we both decided we wanted different things. I didn't want to be Shadowcat anymore. I didn't want that life."

"But now?" he asked, taking a step toward her. His eyes seemed to assess her. "You don't have to be Shadowcat, no more than I have to be Nightcrawler when I don't want to. That doesn't have to be a part of it. Xavier just needs people to travel, to talk to others like us, to try and figure out how our kind safely fits into this world." He reached for her hand again, and she let him take it. The feel of his fur against her skin was heavenly.

"I'm halfway through my studies here. It would be stupid to quit," she said. Her voice was quiet, and she wondered just who she was trying to convince. He tilted his head to the side.

"You can always finish them later." He reached up and gently touched her cheek, and she would've sworn that she purred. "What are you really worried about?"

She bit her lip and tried to look away from him, but he took hold of her chin, gently, and lifted it so he could see her eyes. "I've invested so much of myself into this life," she whispered, "that I'm afraid to leave it. What if I find out I should've stayed with Xavier? That I should've stayed with _you_? The life I've built here would be nothing but a waste, Kurt. And I'd hate that."

"Nothing you've done here is a waste," he said. His voice was firm. "You've grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman, just like I knew you would. You've learned a lot, been on your own, found out you could do anything you wanted to. You don't have to regret any of this."

She wanted, badly, to believe him. But would going back to New York with him, back to the school, show that she'd been wrong? That with her special abilities, she never should've left?

"Katzchen." She looked up at Kurt's soft voice, and he smiled at her. "Don't overthink this, all right? If you're happy here, you don't need to leave. I really did just come to see you." He leaned down and pressed his soft lips to her cheek, and she wondered if she'd quit breathing. "I should be on my way, I think."

"Why? Do you really have to leave for Amsterdam now?" she asked. A sense of panic overtook her at the thought of him leaving her again so soon, so suddenly. She'd expected he'd stay at least overnight.

He grinned at her. "Missing me already, then?"

She knew he was teasing her, but the threat of tears in her eyes kept her from appreciating his humor. "I always miss you," she whispered. She searched his eyes, not knowing exactly what she was seeking.

"Hey, none of that," he said, frowning. He reached to wipe away a single tear that welled in the corner of her right eye. "I didn't mean to make you cry, Liebchen," he whispered.

"I know. I didn't mean to cry," she said. She hastily wiped at her eyes. "I guess seeing you has shaken me more than I'd thought."

He smiled. "Vell, I'm glad to hear _zat_," he said, falling back into his heavy German accent and making her giggle. "Zhere. Zat's my girl." And he reached around her and tugged in tight to his chest, a chest hard with smooth muscle. She buried her face into it and wished she didn't ever have to tell him goodbye again.

But the sad reality was that she couldn't go with him. She knew, no matter what he told her, that she would regret it. She was one year away from graduation, and then she'd be free to follow whatever pursuit captured her interest next. With difficulty, she pulled back out of his arms, and he let her go. His eyes dimmed a little when she met them, and she knew he knew.

"You'll come visit me again, right? And stay longer?" she asked, clutching his left hand within both of hers.

He nodded, solemn. "I promise, Katzchen. I'll be in Amsterdam for a week, and then off to Australia for a meeting there. But as soon as I can, I'll be back," he told her, his voice firm. "I'm sorry it took so long this time to come see you, but I wasn't sure if you'd want me to."

She bit her lip. "To be honest, I don't know. I know I wanted a clean break from everything, but I regret not keeping in touch with you." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell. "What's your number?"

He gave it to her and also programmed hers into the special phone Dr. Hank McCoy had made just for him. "I should be back in the States inside of a month. I'll call you," he told her and pulled her close for one more tight hug. "I love you, Kitty," he breathed, and all she could do was focus on not crying.

"I love you too," she whispered. Her voice wavered, but she didn't cry. He would come back to her, just like he'd said he would.

He was the one to step back this time. He kissed her forehead and smiled. "I'll see you soon. Take care of yourself."

"I will. You, too. Be careful travelling." She walked him to the door and he tapped his image inducer before crossing over the threshold. Giving her another million-dollar smile, he walked down the hall and she closed the door before slowly sinking to the floor and leaning back against it.

This was the right decision – she knew it was, but letting him go was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. She sighed and got back to her feet. Her elf would come back to her, and maybe in a year, she'd be ready for another X-Men adventure with him. For now, though, this was her chosen life, and it was a good one. She forced herself to smile and headed to the table for the forgotten food from a half-hour ago, Kurt's words running through her mind: _zat's my girl._


End file.
